


The Same as Always, but Maybe Not Anymore

by c0matoast



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Comfort, Falling In Love, Fluff, Kissing, Love, M/M, One Shot, Short & Sweet, Wrote this during school, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-12 06:34:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29006121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/c0matoast/pseuds/c0matoast
Summary: Ash and Eiji get a rare moment alone in the busy city.
Relationships: Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji
Comments: 7
Kudos: 63





	The Same as Always, but Maybe Not Anymore

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this during school because i hate geometry
> 
> so enjoy quick fluffy ash and eiji :)

Ash sat on the roof of the building he had called home ever since he had moved to the inner city. The skyline was nothing like the movies. There were no neighbors having casual conversation through their windows, there were no happy birds sitting in a clothes line. There was no shining symbol of patriotism in the form of The Statue of Liberty drifting in the background. Only a sea people in the midst of the midday bustle, and a sky that had drifted far from its natural color.

Ash sat with a root beer in his hand, slowly sipping it as the wind swept his golden-blonde hair around his face. His gang had gone to a party downtown. Drugs, Strippers, bad decisions, everything a hormonal teenager could want, but Ash was uninterested. He opted to stay back and “keep watch.” 

The city was nothing new to him. He would often sit up in this same spot, completely alone. Just to watch. The only difference today was today he wasn’t alone. A smaller, Japanese boy beside Ash, leading his head against him. There was a peaceful silence between them, a sort of understanding. 

It was just them two. No one else. It was perfect. Ash wanted this to last forever.

“Eiji?” he asked quietly, his voice almost completely carried away by the wind.

Eiji didn’t verbally respond, but only turned his head on Ash’s shoulder to make eye contact. His eyes widened expectantly.

“Have you ever been in love?”

There was a moment of silence between them, as Ash slowly curled his arm around Eiji’s back to pull him closer. Eiji didn’t resist, but there was an obvious look of pondering on his face. He wanted to give Ash a better answer, but all he could come up with was, “Maybe. I’m not sure.”

“What were they like?” Ash soberly said back.

Eiji giggled, leaning away from Ash for a moment. He turned his back Ash, and laid himself back across his lap. He reached his hand up, and let his fingers toy with the American boy’s locks. Eiji gently opened his mouth and responded, “They were perfect. The most beautiful eyes, and even if they won't say it, I know they care.”

Ash felt a blush tint his cheeks as he pulled a hand up over his mouth to hide his embarrassment. He let out a muffled sentence through his palm, “You're such a sap.”

They both let out a childish laugh until their eyes met, and Ash felt every nice thing he’d ever felt about Eiji rush back. His smile was ever so slight but it still managed to light up the whole dying city behind him.

“Do you really mean it?” 

Eiji looked back at him, sitting up, and pressing his face a few inches away from Ash’s. He softly put his hand on Ash’s shoulder, caressing the loose fabric with his thumbs. 

“I mean it with every fiber of my being.” He spoke, bringing out his rare no-nonsense tone.

They stared into each other’s eyes for just a moment, until a sentence that Ash never thought he’d say slipped from his lips.

“Can I kiss you?”

As Ash said it, he even surprised himself. He almost began to open up his mouth to apologize, but he was quickly met with Eiji’s lips. He was taken aback by it for a moment, his hand instinctively going back to put his weight on. But slowly he let his eyes close and allowed himself to enjoy this moment he had hoped for. And it was everything he wanted. 

They melted into each other’s arms. Nothing but them two and the sound of the bustling city. Not a single thing in the world could pull them apart in that moment. They took in the feeling of each other.

Ash loved this man.

With every fiber of his being. 

They pulled away from each other, each of their faces stretching into a smile against their will. Ash stood up, walking to the edge of the building, looking out onto the city he knew so well. It was the same as he always knew it. The same messy rush hours. The same warped skyline. The same billboards, the same dark alleys. But today it looked brighter. He couldn’t tell if it was because of the weather or the boy next to him, but he suddenly saw more potential in the city than he ever did.

There were still the same awful people living not an hour away, taunting him with his past. But his past didn’t seem so scary anymore. Now that he had someone for a shield, he could look forward, not back.

The city was the same as it always was. The same meaningless promise of am “American Dream.” maybe not for much longer. Maybe now they could live out a different type of dream. One where nobody could hurt them. Maybe the city won’t be as awful anymore. 


End file.
